“What is the treatment for a torn ankle ligament?”

Given the complexity of treating a torn ankle ligament, it's essential to consult with a healthcare professional. Dr. Jose Loor, our experienced podiatrist, can provide a comprehensive assessment of your injury and recommend a personalized treatment plan.

I strongly encourage you to schedule an appointment with Dr. Loor at joseloorpodiatry.com or by calling (646) 631-8861. Seeking professional guidance is crucial for ensuring proper healing and preventing long-term complications.

Multiple remedies. Stabilize with a brace. Surgical repair. I like exosome therapy.

Depends on severity. Everything from a brace to surgery.

It depends on the severity of the tear. Some tears can heal on their own. Some require surgery. It also depends on the age of the patient. Older patients typically have the ankle immobilized until the swelling goes down. Then they can rehab the ankle to get strength back in the ankle. But they will typically always have some laxity to the ankle. Younger patients and athletes sometimes have surgery to repair the ligament. Either way, I would recommend seeing your local podiatrist, if they treat ankle injuries. If you dont have a local podiatrist who treats ankle injuries then see your local orthopedic.

Boot or cast

LIGAMENT injuries to the ankle are very common. The ligaments connect bones together. When the ligament stretches beyond its elastic limit, partial or complete tears develop. The most common ligament injury in the ankle is due to a twisting injury of the foot down and in. This can occur from sports, twisting the foot under the leg in a hole, or even falling off of a shoe. A thorough evaluation will best determine the injured part and the extent of the injury. With the increased participation in sports at a very young age, the frequency of ankle ligament injuries has been rising.
Return to play is carefully determined by the Foot and Ankle Specialist based on the specifics of your sport or activity. Physical therapy is highly necessary for a full recovery and to minimize the recurrence of injury secondary to ankle instability. A gradual increase in activity is encouraged, usually at 10% increments per week. Low-impact exercise usually begins once the ligaments appear clinically healed and proprioception is restored to the ankle joint. Sport-specific rehabilitation can expedite the recovery of the patient and potentially lead to a faster return to play. Many patients and athletes may need an Ankle brace for several months after return to play are initiated.
TREATMENT:
Immediate care is necessary to prevent any long-term problems.
Mild injuries associated with minimal swelling may be treated with rest, ice, elevation, and an ankle brace.
Moderate injuries in which a partial tear has occurred may necessitate immobilization for 2-6 weeks in a removable boot or hard cast.
Severe injuries need to be immobilized in a hard fiberglass cast, or removable boot and brace combination, for 4-6 weeks to allow the ligaments to heal properly. Weight-bearing is usually allowed.
Anti-inflammatories such as Advil, ibuprofen, Aleve, Motrin, or Naprosyn should ALWAYS BE AVOIDED in the first 5-7 days of injury. Ligaments heal with an accumulation of growth factors and scarring; these medications lessen inflammation which essentially reduces scarring. This is NOT a good thing to do. Acetaminophen, Tylenol, is preferable for pain management, in addition to the Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation protocols.

Physical therapy following bracing or cast removal is necessary to improve muscle strength, ankle stability, and joint proprioception and to restore the complete ankle range of motion. If left untreated, chronic instability commonly develops. Recurring twisting injuries than occur with minimal stress. This will require chronic use of an ankle brace and physical therapy. Prolotherapy can sometimes be performed to cause inflammation in an attempt to restore or increase stability. This is a series of weekly injections into the ankle ligaments, ultrasound-guided with an irritant solution of Dextrose and Lidocaine (sugar water). Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections may provide a stimulus to healing If there is chronic instability, surgery would be necessary to surgically reconstruct the ligaments in the ankle and allow a full return to activity. In such cases, the prognosis is excellent.

Rest, ice, compression, and elevation of the ankle and foot. Immobilization with compression is good to prevent further inflammation, pain, and damage. It generally is treated successfully in my office with conservative care. Immobilization is used for the first 6-12 weeks depending on the severity of the injury. At 6-8 weeks I start very important ankle stretching and strengthening exercises that must be done daily for another 6-8 weeks. See a podiatrist near you and get a good supportive ankle brace, the over-the-counter braces are generally not supportive enough. Depending on the patients progress after the initial 6-8 weeks they sometimes can stop wearing the ankle brace daily, but must wear it for exercise or athletic activities for 3-6 months to allow the tissues to heal. If they have gone 3-6 months and still have ankle instability then surgery to repair or replace the ankle ligaments that were damaged. Good luck.

This can be treated surgically or non surgically, depending on the extent of the injury. I recommend you discuss your specific case with a foot and ankle surgeon (podiatrist) for a better understanding of your situation and options

Initially, a torn ligament may be treated conservatively with immobilization, anti-inflammatory medications, injections, ankle braces, rest, and ice. If the ankle ligament causes an instability of the ankle, you will require surgery to fix the problem and repair the ankle ligaments

Physical therapy and supportive bracing is very helpful. If this fails surgery is a consideration and works very well with ligament damage.